Why It Is Important To Get Legal Advice Following A Truck Accident

Truck accidents deal with professional drivers and are backed by trucking companies that have a lot at stake, making them even more complicated. 

Immediately contacting a personal injury attorney after a vehicle accident is always important in ensuring that your case is being handled properly and will yield positive results.  It is even more important to retain expert legal advice following an accident with a semi-truck.  Car accidents are certainly complicated enough, but the fact that truck accidents deal with professional drivers and are backed by trucking companies that have a lot at stake makes them even more complicated.  Because professional truck drivers are paid to move freight from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible, sometimes they take risks with their own safety and the safety of other drivers on the road.  By driving for periods that are too long without breaks, driving while fatigued, or driving while intoxicated, truck drivers are taking extreme risks and are being negligent.

Safety Standard For Truck Drivers

Trucking companies and truck drivers are held to a higher safety standard than other drivers because their vehicles and trailers are so much larger and therefore potentially much more dangerous than regular vehicles.  The trucking industry should be and is closely regulated, and when the truck driver and/or trucking company is at fault, you have a greater chance of receiving a higher settlement.  These regulations in place to keep the public safe are very often successful, but the times when they are not stand out all the more because the size of semi-trucks means the likelihood of injury to the passengers in the other vehicle is greatly increased.  It is always important to make sure that every safety regulation is being followed.  When a truck driver is operating a vehicle under the influence, it is especially important to make sure that justice is served and that the situation is handled by an experienced truck accident attorney, individuals are compensated, and that attention is brought to any negligence that occurred to cause the accident.

Some Common Causes of Accidents

• Inadequate training

• Driver fatigue

• Negligence or carelessness

• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

• Lack of adherence to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

• Improper loading of freight

• Vehicles that are not properly maintained

What to Do After A Truck Accident

Truck accident attorneys can bring a lot to successfully prosecuting or settling an accident case.  Truck accidents involving semis have a lot of factors at play that normal vehicle accidents do not.  For instance, protecting evidence, obtaining records and logs from the trucking company, determining how many parties can be held liable, and finding experts who can evaluate and investigate the accident site, are all extremely important.  Truck accident attorneys have expertise that helps them to understand the regulations placed on the trucking industry that are meant to keep the public safe.  When these regulations are not adhered to, trucking companies can be liable.  Attention to detail and making sure that nothing is overlooked and that all of the possible records are secured from the trucking company are crucial in making a strong case.

Call Now (314) 588-7200 or schedule your free consultation.

The Zevan and Davidson Law Firm is a trial law firm with a track record of obtaining results in high-stakes catastrophic personal injury cases in Missouri and Illinois. Contact the St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Zevan and Davidson today to schedule a free consultation by calling (314) 588-7200.

photo credit: D’oh Boy (Mark Holloway)